Fw: Global Alternative Economic Programme

["g kohler" <gkohler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Thanks, Chris Burford and Andrew Hagen, for your
 interest in my posting. It
 is nice to get some support from highly esteemed comrades.

 The brand name issue - I agree that "global Keynesianism" is as little
 satisfactory as a brand
 name as most other names for this kind of thing. There is a major naming
 problem. The French/multinational NGO which is promoting a Tobin tax and
 other good things has a better brand name - ATTAC (derived from some clever
 French phrase).

 PR - it would be nice if a working group/committee could be put together,
as
 you propose. Please put me on your list -  gko15@xxxxxxxxxxx

 Gernot Kohler
Oakville, Canada

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, September 10, 2001 3:08 AM
> Subject: Re: Global Alternative Economic Programme
>
>
> > At 09/09/01 23:01 -0500, Andrew Hagen wrote:
> >
> > >Raising the possibility of increasing global GDP would be a tempting
> > >carrot to wave in front of the capitalist donkey. The global justice
> > >movement has a wider agenda, however, not necessarily incompatible with
> > >growth, but potentially forgettable when placed next to it. It is
> > >crucial to continue to call for the worldwide legalization of union
> > >efforts, the installation of democratic norms in all countries, global
> > >justice, and similar measures.
> > >
> > >Even setting aside potential objections about the inclusiveness of
> > >Global Keynesian demands, would I offend anyone if I suggested that
> > >"Global Keynesianism" is not a very marketable "brand"?
> > >
> > >I'd like to suggest the phrase "Global Development" to stand at once
> > >for global justice, sustainable development, global Keynesianism, debt
> > >relief, and free but fair trade.
> > >
> > >By doing so, the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO will have to take a
> > >stand against "Global Development."
> > >
> > >That would be good P.R.
> > >
> > >I offer to help if you need it to write an action statement.
> >
> >
> > Please do write an action statement as soon as possible! If anyone can
> > write a better one, let them please do so!
> >
> > These lists work on the nem con principle: if no one is against it, you
> can
> > do it. It is  possible that with the countdown to Washington on 29th
> > September mail about this could snowball. Obviously Michael Perelman may
> > have views and suggestions about this.
> >
> > If necessary another list can be created with another list server free
> > within a matter of an hour, for inner or outer circles of interested
> > people. The limiting factor is only the need for consensus and
information
> > for everyone who wants to be in touch to keep in touch.
> >
> > But we could use this list to test ideas and for people to copy them out
> to
> > other people on other lists and other networks. I suggest that for this
or
> > similar threads there is an understanding that the posts can be copied
out
> > to people who could help, including those who could help by criticial
> comments.
> >
> > I agree about the PR question and the brand name. We cannot tell which
> > brand name will catch which constituency best, because of course they
have
> > contradictory interests. But this could provide the challenge to the
rule
> > by the present servants of international finance capital.
> >
> > I had wondered about "The Alternative  Köhler Programme" because that
> would
> > contribute to undermining the confidence of Horst, make him look silly,
> and
> > tacitly raise the question of global state power. But Gernot may be too
> > bashful, people would not get the umlauts or the pronunciation right,
and
> > anyway Gernot does not seem to get his posts coming to the list by email
> > but only via the web. Also his email address is beyond my powers of
> deduction??
> >
> > But "The Alternative  Köhler Programme" for a couple of weeks would
catch
> > the attention of the leading economic campaigners who are shaping the
> > agenda and the confrontations for Washington, and the journalists
looking
> > for a new peg to hand their story on.  Polite non-violent mockery is
> > crucial to some of this. Campaigners need a text quickly that they can
> pick
> > up, to hold not just the moral but the economic high ground in the
> > confrontations. Yes, a million dollars golden handshakes to all willing
> > participants from the other side (sorry about the typo late last night)
> >
> > *If* this gathers momentum, as I think it might - there is bound to be
> > another piece of bad economic news this week - among the people I would
> > like to see comment on this - *including if necessarily critically" to
> iron
> > out objections, are people like Patrick Bond and Doug Henwood. There are
> > many others who I do not know, perhaps lurking. I would like to see the
> > ideas copied to marxism lists if these marxists will not comment here,
> > becasue it would be best if there is no objection from
marxist-influenced
> > people to what may come over as a neo-Keynesian programme. The
> > contradiction with anarchism needs to be handled firmly but sensitively.
> > The contradiction with the Greens ditto - a global development programme
> > should enable humankind to have much more power sensitively to minimise
> the
> > impact on the environment and remedy existing damage.
> >
> > Someone needs quickly to do an options appraisal on setting up an
> > alternative seminar in Washington at the end of the month. The IMF/World
> > bank meeting has been cut to Sat 29th and Sunday 30th. People may have
> kept
> > their diaries open however for the previous week (or was it the
following
> > week as originally scheduled?) There will be spare time and spare hotel
> > accommodation and seminar room space at knock down rates. (GW University
> > will also have a lot of unused rooms!). My guess is something like a
> > seminar of the most informed global activists/strategists in person on
the
> > weekend of Sat22/Sun23rd which gives enough time to decide how much
these
> > ideas, and publicity linked around them, can feed into the build up for
> > weekend 29/30. Meanwhile a sense of the momentum can very quickly be
> > established through the internet. Rooms, speakers, publicity, chair,
> organiser.
> >
> > A large conference trying to get major global consensus needs to be
> > pencilled in for after this month obviously. If it is to reconcile
> > different opinions, it will need to be funded substantially (capitalists
> > have a lot to gain in the short-term from this programme, and
governments
> > even more) and it will need a chair-person as pleasant and as skilled as
> > Nkosazana Zuma, who has just chaired WCAR.
> >
> > I have a very busy professional agenda in another field in the next few
> > days, and may not be able to post much till Saturday night at the
> earliest.
> > Please go for it, Andrew. Please would any other reader who thinks they
> can
> > contribute, go for it, network, and accelerate the positive feedback
> > process. None of us is being arrogant about this. None of us will know
at
> > the end which contribution was decisive, but the ruling authorities are
on
> > the brink of being unable to govern in the old way. This is a crucial
> > moment when the situation is both economically and politically unstable.
> If
> > we do nothing the world economy will grind into a profound recession
with
> > perhaps half the world's labour force unemployed or underemployed. The
> cost
> > in child mortality is already measured in thousands of deaths a day.
> >
> > Apologies for typos. All, or perhaps rather key parts, of this post may
be
> > copied to people of good will if they may be willing to help (but I
> suggest
> > to key individuals rather than promiscuous copying until we have a more
> > polished statement - which BTW certainly does not have to wait for me.)
> >
> > There is a multitude of people wanting answers. We have the outline of a
> > viable answer. The empire cannot refuse to parley.
> >
> > The other side is bankrupt. We only have to articulate and communicate
> > another way of doing things, fight the battles, and we have won.
> >
> > There is a world to save and to win.
> >
> > Please go for it.
> >
> > Chris Burford
> >
> > London
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>